At least 38 passengers on an overcrowded ferry drowned in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the ship capsized on Friday night. More than a hundred other passengers are still missing. Eyewitnesses and local authorities reported this to the AP news agency. The government has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
The accident took place on the Busira, a river in the northeast of the country. The ship was on its way to the city of Boende. On board were mainly traders who wanted to go home for Christmas, the mayor of a nearby town told AP. He estimated that the ferry carried more than four hundred passengers. Twenty people are known to have been rescued.
Similar accidents are more common in Congo. Last week, at least 25 passengers died when another overcrowded ship capsized. More than 78 passengers died in a ship disaster on Lake Kivu in the south of the country in October. In June, at least 86 people drowned in a shipwreck in a western province.
Although the dangers of overcrowded ferries are regularly pointed out, residents of remote areas often use them because it is often the only option for travel. Public land transport is unaffordable for part of the population. Moreover, many roads are the scene of fighting between rebels and the Congolese army.